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The Mechanics
« Not a Wonderful Life: The Effects of Aggressive Foreclosure Charts! The Geography of Ward Politics »

State Politics Tue Apr 05 2011

Politicians Choosing Voters

Karl Klockars of Chicagoist looks at the potential for dire gerrymandering to protect Illinois' Congressional Democrats and "deTea" (Karl's great neologism) those districts where "Tea Party" candidates knocked out Democrats. The map below was generated by a user at Swing State Project.

2011_04_05illinoisredistricting-thumb-995x1024-612890.jpg

Image via Chicagoist

This map is speculation based on available data. Few things in politics frustrate me more than this kind of chicanery, deterministic redistricting. Other than basic safeguards (prohibiting "cracking" and "packing") ensuring that minorities are not actively denied meaningful representation, redistricting should be wholly free of any political consideration whatever. Otherwise, government is merely artfully arranging the polity to preserve itself, rather than the public artfully arranging government to serve them.

 
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Kevin Boyer / May 27, 2011 2:46 PM

Redistricting has NEVER been free of politics. In fact, one could argue that redistricting is the most political of all that our legislatures do. Aspiring to the "perfect" when the perfect has never been the goal and "perfect" is defined differently by everyone seems masturbatory.

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Feature

Parents Still Steaming, but About More Than Just Boilers

By Phil Huckelberry / 2 Comments

It's now been 11 days since the carbon monoxide leak which sent over 80 Prussing Elementary School students and staff to the hospital. While officials from Chicago Public Schools have partially answered some questions, and CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has informed that he will be visiting the school to field more questions on Nov. 16, many parents remain irate at the CPS response to date. More...

Civics

Substance, Not Style, the Source of Rahm's Woes

By Ramsin Canon / 2 Comments

It's not surprising that some of Mayor Emanuel's sympathizers and supporters are confusing people's substantive disputes with the mayor as the effect of poor marketing on his part. It's exactly this insular worldview that has gotten the mayor in hot... More...

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About Mechanics

Mechanics is the politics section of Gapers Block, reflecting the diversity of viewpoints and beliefs of Chicagoans and Illinoisans. More...
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